Thonet and Vander 'garage speakers' - review

Inside, the Kurbis have 5.25 inch woofers made of aramid fibre claimed to enhance bass, as well as one-inch silk tweeters for ultra-pure high tones. The upper suspension rings are made of elastic rubber, allowing, say the makers, larger displacement sensitivity and resistance to the beats of sound.

They’re capable of connecting with Amazon Echo and Google Home, providing full voice control, say the makers. They can also be used for TV, DJ Mixer or gaming systems. Although Bluetooth 4-controlled, you’ll need a handy power socket in your garage, and the two speakers still have to be physically linked, with the included cable.

The result of all this tech, including - importantly - the integrated amp? Pretty impressive performance. The left-hand speaker also has neat built-in controls for volume, treble and bass. With bass and treble ‘flat’, the sound is a little thin, but carries well. With a little adjustment however, the sound is excellent, becoming rich and clear and - with bass turned up - a decent beat response too.

These are handsome, practical, genuinely useful and adaptable, reasonably-priced (£149.99) speakers that will help those long hours in the garage fly by. My only criticism is that for true ‘bookshelf’ speakers the on and off button is on the rear of the left-hand speaker so - unless you’re prepared to leave them on - you’re going to have to plan ahead when setting them up, so that you can reach around to the back, to turn them off.

thonet-vander.com